The Uganda Budget Lodge
Safari also travels to Queen Elizabeth National Park
for a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel and game viewing
in Uganda's top national park. Safari highlights include
a village walk near Bwindi Park and visiting Igongo
Cultural Village.

A
once-in-a-lifetime gorilla trekking and wildlife adventure
in Uganda!

At
the start of this Gorilla Trekking & Uganda Wildlife
Safari our guide collects you from your pre-tour accommodation
in Kampala at 7:30 am. Leaving
Kampala, the capital of Uganda, you travel west to Kasese,
via the town of Fort Portal.

We
stop for lunch in Kasese admiring the beautiful slopes
of Mount Rwenzori. After lunch we continue our journey
through the scenic landscapes of Uganda to Queen Elizabeth
National Park.

In
the evening we embark on a two hour boat trip on the
Kazinga Channel, getting up close to hippos, buffalos
and other wildlife. The boat trip offers excellent bird
watching opportunities, as well as the chance to see
elephants, warthogs and Kob antelopes.

The
banks of the channel are home to a rich variety of birds,
including Pink-backed Pelicans, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers
and Saddle billed Stork.

The
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most popular
protected area and covers about 1978 km². The park
is scenically located on the rift valley floor between
Lake Edward and Lake George flanked by towering mountains
in the distance.

The
game park is set among hills and lakes and consists
mostly of euphorbia tree-studded savannahs or grasslands.
The varied habitats within Queen Elizabeth National
Park host 95 mammal and 612 bird species.

Dinner
and overnight stay at a budget safari lodge

Meal Plan: {Lunch and Dinner}

Day
2:
Queen Elizabeth –
Drive to Bwindi
Forest Park

After coffee we set
off on an early morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth
Park, exploring the area along Kasenyi and Queens Mile.
Wildlife sightings include elephants, lions, buffalo,
waterbucks, warthogs and various other antelope and
bird species.

Next our journey takes
us along the impressive craters of the western Rift
Valley escarpment and the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth
National Park. We take a game drive en route, looking
out for wildlife, especially the tree climbing lions
found in this southern part of the game park.

This rewarding drive
brings us to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the
evening. Bwindi National Park is home to the endangered
African Mountain Gorillas, along with a rich diversity
of wild animals and plants. Inhabitants include various
other primate species, such as the blue and red tailed
monkeys.

Dinner and overnight
stay at an affordable community camp.

Meal
Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner}

Day
3: Explore Bwindi Gorilla Trekking

Today we set off on
the once-in-a-lifetime experience of trekking mountain
gorillas in the wild. The day starts with an early morning
breakfast, before meeting up with our guide for a briefing
on the gorilla trekking excursion.

We
then head off into the dense vegetation of Bwindi Impenetrable
Forest, best known for endangered gorilla trekking,
considered the highlight of visiting Uganda.

This
gorilla walk can take up to six hours, so a reasonable
degree of fitness and a sturdy pair of walking shoes
are required. The thrill of encountering these gentle
primates in the wild is well worth the sometimes challenging
trek through the thick undergrowth.

This
rewarding trek through the jungle takes us in search
of a group of gorillas. Once we find the African Mountain
Gorillas we spend some time watching them feed and interact
with each other.

We
get to hear the gorillas communicating with one another
and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant adult male
gorillas, called Silverbacks. Encountering these giant
apes is one of Africa’s most poignant wildlife
experiences.

Each gorilla encounter
is unique, offering its own rewards. We generally get
up close to the adult gorillas to watch them feeding,
grooming and resting, as well as witnessing the young
gorillas at play.

In the afternoon we
explore a local community on foot, to gain insight into
the ways of the Ugandan people living near Bwindi Park.
After our village walk we return to the camp and have
a drink together, recounting our unforgettable adventures
with African Mountain Gorillas.

Dinner
and overnight stay at an affordable community camp.

Meal
Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner}

Day 4: Bwindi
– Drive
to Kampala & Entebbe

We
enjoy an early breakfast on day four and then return
to Kampala, visiting Igongo Cultural Village en route.
Here we learn about the Bahima and Ankole cultures of
Uganda, glimpsing the history of these interesting people.

Along
the way we cross the Equator, stopping to take photographs
and to have lunch. We arrive back in Kampala (or Entebbe
on request) in time to catch evening flights, bringing
this Gorilla Trekking & Uganda Wildlife Safari to
a close.